


The Slytherin Resistance

by Cysteine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Good Slytherins, Multi, Silver Trio, Slytherins Being Slytherins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 22:13:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9627644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cysteine/pseuds/Cysteine
Summary: An abandoned story of mine whose ideas fed into Opheliac and One Step Left.This story follows the books from a Slytherin Point of View, and it shows a very different way to fight a war.





	1. The Lightning-Struck Tower

Pansy was lounging on her chair; her eyes unfocused on the letter in front of her. Adrian Pucey, her ex-boyfriend, was being recruited by none other than Lucius Malfoy. Apparently the pureblood families were expected to have their sons join the Dark Lord’s ranks. Impressment was expected of the weaker half-bloods or the more skilled Mudbloods, but the pureblood families were expected to serve willfully.  
  
She knew what was going on already was horrific; Draco had confided in her what had occurred during the Dark Revel that occurred when he received his Dark Mark. Lord Malfoy had apparently clapped him on the shoulder with pride and had helpfully cast the Cruciatus Curse on the Muggle that was tied down beneath Draco. Apparently, the Death Eaters believe that sex is more enjoyable if the Muggle is wriggling against their own volition. She vomited the first time he had confided to her that he was forced to rape at wandpoint; he would have been killed on the spot otherwise.  
  
Pansy and Draco were no longer together, but they kept up the act for appearances. He no longer had that warm glint in his eyes when they smiled in private to each other; he no longer confided to her what he was being forced to do. He was always gone, skipping Quidditch games, meals, and no longer laid his head upon her lap as they used to by the fireplace. She missed stroking his hair, but she missed so much more of him now. His stiff and emotionless face, crafted since a young Malfoy, was wearing away just as his own body seemed to be. None of the other Slytherins approached the subject to either of them, knowing what could happen if…  
  
“Crabbe and Goyle just came back without Malfoy.” Millicent said, concerned. Pansy knew that whatever Draco had been planning, it was going to happen tonight.  
  
“Salazar’s Snake.” Pansy cursed and crossed over to the portrait painting of Slytherin himself. “ _Vox supervenio illis quisnam vindicatum is._ ” The portrait swung open, and the wall of blank portraits slowly brightened to show views throughout Hogwarts.  
  
“What is this? What did you say?” Millicent said in quiet horror.  
  
“ _‘Power arrives to those who claim it.’_ This is Salazar’s Eyes. Every suit of armor in the castle is linked to these portraits. Draco has been going to that Room of Requirement all year; I hope he finally found what he was looking for.” Pansy prayed that it would show him coming back safe and sound. The wall turned into a doorway and opened, and Draco came out with Bellatrix, the Carrows, and… **Greyback**.  
  
“THAT’S THE CHILD-EATER!” Millicent shrieked, running off to barricade the common room doors. The Weasley girl and Potter’s Mudblood were approaching the hallway when Draco immediately flung his arm outward, pouring utter darkness into the hallway. The portrait went dark, and Pansy’s grip on her wand made her knuckles go white with fear.  
  
“Pansy, why the FUCK would Malfoy bring that thing here?!” Others in the common room overheard what was said, and they were quick to disillusion themselves and to pull out protective amulets. Mafalda Prewett, whose grandmother Cedrella Black had married Molly Weasley's sister, knew that she was considered an outcast despite being a Pureblood. She also knew that Bellatrix would come after her despite the door being warded shut.  
  
An eternity passed in silence as the Slytherins huddled together; the younger children sobbed as they realized who was prowling around the castle. The air felt colder as though the Dementors had arrived with them. A few of them shivered, jumping in their seats when they heard the meaty thump of a fist hitting the portrait door.  
  
“Pansy? Let Auntie Bella in. We’ve come to… prune the family trees, so to speak.” All of the Slytherins shook their heads no, knowing that Greyback wouldn’t stop at just killing one half-blood Slytherin. His ability to change when it’s not the full moon proved how little control he had of himself, and he didn’t seem to care. The claws began to tap upon the door impatiently, followed by the faint scratching as if it were a chalkboard. The gruff voice that followed didn’t sound like it came from human vocal chords.  
  
“Mafalda? I was promised some sweet young flesh if I came along. You don’t want to be… _ungracious to a guest_ and deny them a sweet little snack? OPEN UP! I CAN SMELL YOUR SWEET BLOOD, AND YOUR FEAR IS LIKE AN APPETIZER!” Fenrir growled and began to throw himself at the door. The door cracked but instantly resealed itself. Draco caught up to the Death Eaters with the Carrows fast behind him.  
  
“We have a mission to complete,” Draco commanded wavingly. Pansy stood in front of the portrait where she could see him, hoping that they all would survive the night.  
  
“What mission is this? What’s Draco up to?” Tracey Davis shrieked, her composure gone. Draco and his crew walked out of one portrait and appeared on another just after a few seconds.  
  
“Remember the accidents that happened this year? The cursed necklace and the poisoned mead? Those weren’t accidents. They were assassination attempts,” Daphne Greengrass supplied. It was obvious what was going to happen now. Draco broke away from the others, running up the stairs toward the Astronomy Tower.  
  
“Look! Professor Snape is… stunning Professor Flitwick?” Blaise Zabini pointed out, noting how quickly he got the drop on the former Dueling Champion. Snape stopped to tell Hermione something, and then ran off to join in the fight.  
  
Back on the other portrait, Albus Dumbledore was disarmed and looking beaten. Draco’s wand was shakily pointing at him, as if he couldn’t hold his own wand up. They were in an awkward conversation, it seemed.  
  
“I wish we could hear what’s going on there,” Pansy whispered. “Dumbledore is the only wizard the Dark Lord ever feared; if he dies… everything’s going to change.”  
  
Crabbe and Goyle were heard chuckling in the distance. “We did our part; we’re defin’ly getting our Marks now!” Goyle cheered. Crabbe stared at Daphne Greengrass lustfully, biting his bottom lip in greedy anticipation. Daphne shuddered in revulsion and was surprised to find Mafalda holding her hand reassuringly.  
  
“I’ll never let him touch you, Greengrass. You are far too good for the likes of him,” she whispered. In the portrait, Bellatrix entered the Astronomy Tower with the Carrows and Greyback. Draco’s resolve had seemingly diminished, and he was about to lower his wand.  
  
Then Professor Snape entered. Professor Snape pointed his wand at Dumbledore. Professor Snape killed Albus Dumbledore.


	2. Flight of the Prince

The silence in the Slytherin Common Room was overwhelming. They all were witness to murder; watched as the Headmaster fell, almost gracefully, off of the Astronomy Tower. A slow clap began, threatening to erupt into applause. Goyle was alone in his revelry, and Mafalda Prewett closed the portrait door and cast a muffling charm in order to mute him out. Daphne Greengrass walked over, stunned by the horror of it, and cast _Collorportus_ ; on the doorway to ensure privacy. Pansy was still transfixed on the portraits, her hand resting on the frame where Dumbledore lay. Crabbe and Goyle's attempt at applause ceased when they saw the various questioning glares shot towards them.

“That Half-Blood did it. He killed the only person that the Dark Lord feared.” Pansy whispered in a quiet horror. It was well known that, for the first six years that Severus Snape was in Slytherin, nobody used his Muggle surname. He was only referred to using his mother’s maiden name, as ‘That Half-Blood, Prince’. It was used derisively until he proved his loyalties and begun to enlist into the service of The Dark Lord. Potter’s best friends were referred to as ‘Mudblood Granger’ and ‘Blood-Traitor Weasley-King’ around fellow Slytherins. The three of them stood in Salazar’s Eyes, allowing the truth of what happened to sink in. Mafalda broke the silence, as they watched their Head of House escaping the castle with Draco Malfoy in tow.

“This is no longer about teasing the Mudbloods or trying to prove that we’re better than them. The Dark Lord is going to try and take over the world again. I heard stories about the first time, when he had armies of Inferi, Giants, and the Dementors.” Mafalda said darkly.

Daphne had heard about the previous war, and knew how her parents spoke wistfully about it. “People don’t deserve to die simply because of how they were born. This is madness; no matter how our families tell us why we should fear the Muggles getting a foothold into our society and ruining our traditions, it doesn’t justify genocide.” 

In Pansy’s hands was the letter from her ex, Adrian.

* * *

_Dearest Pansy,_

_This past month, I have had Lord Malfoy come to call upon me multiple times. I can no longer put off what I knew was always inevitable; I must enter into service into Whom I Wish Not To Name. I know of the horrors that are before me, but I am to choose between a future of siding with Evil or a slow death following the loss of my own free will. I do not make this choice freely; I have no other alternative since I know that my family will also bear the punishment should I refuse._

_You are safe as long as you are at Hogwarts under Dumbledore’s protection. I suggest that you remain there as long as you can, even if it means repeating your final year. We cannot run, not unless we wish to see our families dishonored and destroyed._

_However, I am writing to you to give you this warning: our families will be forcing certain expectations upon us. The pureblood fear of our livelihoods being overrun with Mudbloods has reached a fever pitch. The insanity is coalescing into social degeneration and with it the resurgence of the oldest customs that we had long ago forsaken._

_Lord Malfoy has been promising me a dutiful pureblood wife in exchange for service to You-Know-Who. I wholly expected the return of Muggle Hunting and being forced to participate in the Dark Revels, but we are expected to repopulate the pureblood presence in England. I am to have as many children as possible and would be rewarded with House Elves and, should I fancy, a Mudblood mistress. We are to be bred like chattel, and no matter neither how many rewards nor the amount of Honor that I would have bestowed upon my family, I can still see the invisible yoke of slavery to madness._

_So I must urge you to stay safe; though we are no longer courting, I do not wish to see this kind of future forced upon you. If there were any way that I could end this madness from taking root, I would. I am but one person against a legion sworn on tumultuous bedlam, led by an evil megalomaniac. I hope to see you spared from my fate._

_Respectfully Yours,_

_Adrian Pucey_

* * *

“Adrian wrote me, and it looks like things will only get worse. We will get married off as prized broodmares to the most loyal death eaters, and expected to fulfill our duties for the good of a pureblood wizarding society.” Pansy retched as she thought of her future.

A portrait near the end of the wall lit up brilliantly from the flash of a fire near the forbidden forest. Hagrid and Potter quickly begun to douse the flames, but it was too late. Hagrid’s Hut had collapsed in upon itself, becoming nothing more than a pile of charred rubble. Harry was pulled away from the wreckage by Ginny Weasley as Hagrid wept over the lifeless shell of his canine companion.

“So we all agree then, that we cannot let this evil be loosed upon the world.” Mafalda whispered. Pansy and Daphne nodded, doing their best to keep their composure. Grim determination to survive was battling fear and mourning in each of them, as they surveyed the damage done around the castle.

Bill Weasley had lost a lot of blood and was being treated in the Hospital Wing. There was a dead, masked Death Eater at the base of the Astronomy Tower. The Dark Mark was shining brightly as an evil, green moon that illuminates the night. Dumbledore lay still, limbs bent in unnatural angles in an uncomfortable heap. Various Weasleys as well as Aurors were patrolling the school, ensuring that the attack had indeed ended.

“If we’re going to fight, we’re going to have to do this with guile. Trying to fight on their terms, with their tactics, will only make us wind up like them.” Pansy pointed to the unconscious Bill, making her point. “We’re going to have to play the part of loyal Slytherins, no matter how much it may disgust us.”

Daphne nodded almost imperceptibly, eyes widened in shock. “We’re pure-blood traitors.”

“How dense can you get? Are you sure you’re not supposed to be in Gryffindor?” Mafalda sniped. She was met with a glare worthy of Snape’s on a really grumpy day.

“I just had to say it out loud,” Daphne breathed, “I’m betraying everything that I was raised to believe. My family, my honor, my status…”

“We would have been safe here only as long as Dumbledore stayed alive. Now that _He’s_ back, and the Headmaster is dead, honor and status will mean quite little. Lord Malfoy was allowed to rot in Azkaban after the fiasco in the Department of Mysteries, and he’s always been wealthy and powerful enough to avoid prison. Face it, the purebloods are and have been manipulated by that Half-Blood that doesn’t even look human anymore.”


	3. The Phoenix Lament

Headmaster Snape reached the gates of Hogwarts, Draco in tow. As they passed the threshold, they apparated into the night.

Pansy was the first to speak; she wanted to focus on something, anything but the present. “Who else can we trust to work with us?”

Daphne pondered, having sorted most of her friends into the ‘untrustworthy’ pile. “I know who we cannot trust. Crabbe and Goyle. Perhaps Draco as well.”

“Pretty sure we can only try the half-bloods; some of the purebloods will expect to gain too much not to serve the Dark Lord. We can approach Pritchard.” Mafalda added, curious.

Daphne shook her head. “Though Bulstrode is also a half-blood, her family is notorious for backstabbing and power-grabbing as the Notts. Same goes for Warrington. Also, we’re purebloods. Granger and Dumbledore had a point about discriminating solely on blood status.”

In another frame, McGonagall was dismissing various professors, including Potter, from the now Headmistress’ Office.

“We’re going to need a way to communicate to each other; a way that can’t be traced or tapped.” Pansy stated, wishing she had a quill and parchment in order to brainstorm. She’d have to burn her notes afterwards, but it would still be useful in the long run.

“Granger’s Galleons with the Protean Charm was brilliant, but there were so many fail points with it. You could lose it, spend it, not notice when it changed… not to mention the tiny script.” Mafalda’s eyes glinted as a spark of brilliance went across her face. “Why try to read a message when you can hear it? The Weasley Twins developed those extendable ears to transmit sounds over distances.”

Daphne looked perplexed. “I don’t see how we could not be noticed if we wear long flesh-colored tubes from our ears attached to a large, shiny Galleon.” Mafalda just stared at her, face empty.

“All we need are the spells, and put them on a Knut. After that, we can affix them behind our ear with a permanent sticking charm. It would be similar to what Muggle Security agents use, but they have wires attached to their ears.” Mafalda realized that she wouldn’t have known about this if her parents had isolated her from the muggle world as other pureblood families had.

Slughorn’s voice carried through the wall. “Headmaster Dumbledore has died this evening. There will be a funeral service, followed by the Hogwarts Express to take everyone home. It seems that the final obstacle to… well, for You-Know-Who to take power… has been eliminated. I expect you all to leave your personal politics here in the dungeons and to behave appropriately, since this school will be flooded with Ministry officials as well as reporters. Your actions will reflect upon your families’ honor; do not do anything boorish at the funeral.”

Crabbe’s voice cut through the murmur that followed. “Where’s Draco?”

“Draco has left the school with Professor Snape, during the attack by various Death Eaters. I won’t say more, except that the school is now empty of You-Know-Who’s followers. Classes have been cancelled, so you have no need to walk about the castle. If you must, travel in groups for protection from any kind of reprisal. It will most likely come from the Gryffindor Students. I have to retire to my office for… well, should any of you need me, that is where I’ll be. Good Evening.” The entry to the Slytherin Common Room closed, and Slughorn was seen leaving the dungeons through a portrait.


	4. The White Tomb

Pansy, Mafalda, and Daphne all affixed the charmed knuts directly behind their left ears, noting how their hair could easily conceal it.

“Well, we can open a connection by just tapping the coin, and make it look like we’re just sweeping our hair back. Quite brilliant, actually.” Mafalda noted, tapping the coin, “Now you can hear me even if you’re out of earshot.” The girls all grimaced, clenching their left ears.

“Okay, first rule; don’t use these when we can talk normally. One ear being louder than the other is disconcerting. Second rule will be we only whisper. Damn thing is loud.” Daphne replied.

"Is there a second rule?" Mafalda whispered, squinting in fear of a loud signal.

"Yeah, we'll have to keep up appearances. Carry on with Pureblood attitudes. Out-Slytherin the Slytherin. Fight them from within, unlike the Golden Trio." Pansy's voice dripped with scorn.

"We know about the prophecy concerning Harry Potter as The Chosen One, but excluding a magical fluke that sent The Dark Lord into hiding for 15 years, he can't be defeated by a single boy. He has his Weasley and the Mudblood helping him, and they are probably cooking up a plan on how to defeat him." Mafalda added, a plan growing in her head.

"Recall what he did against the Dragon? He does everything blatantly in the open, he uses weak spells to the best result. He's lucky he hasn't killed himself in a fit of bravado. We'll fight through cunning, guile, and deceit. So how do we prepare for this?" Daphne asked.

Mafalda's eyes narrowed slightly in pride. "We disillusion ourselves and pillage the Restricted Section of the library. Everyone's getting ready for the funeral service, so castle security will be low. But we'll have to hurry, since we must be seen there."

The silver trio took turns disillusioning themselves and snuck out of the Slytherin Common Room. As expected, Mr. Filch and his cat were too busy cleaning the castle for the dignitaries that were residing here for the weekend.

As Pansy led the trio into the library, she raised her wand at the gates to the Restricted Section books and muttered the Confundus charm. "There, that should let us get through. Now to figure out what book we need in order to stop You-Know-Who." Pansy whispered at a bookshelf.

"Pans, why are you stating the obvious?" Daphne asked, using her knut communicator, "And why are you saying it so loudly?"

Before Pansy could reply, a book began to slide off of the top of the shelves. It too was disillusioned, but the color returned as it landed in her hands.

"The castle wants to fight back, it seems." Mafalda replied, "that, or it's something from Salazar himself. He may have been a blood purist, but he's not as evil as everyone has been lead to believe."

"What about the whole Chamber of Secrets? He didn't leave a pet Basilisk in the castle for tea parties." Daphne replied, searching the shelves for other books that might help them.

Pansy's eyes widened at the title. "Okay, he thought muggles and mudbloods would cause chaos and be the downfall of Wizarding Society. But he was anti-evil, just midguided. He left this book here for just such a case. It's called 'Serpents of Light: Fighting Darkness on its Own Ground." As she opened the book, she felt a tingle go through her arm, and text began to bleed onto the first page.

* * *

 _We stand in the Shadow between Darkness and Light,_  
_And in times of war, Grey Magic is Right._  
_'Tis better to use every spell in a Fight,  
_ _To cast every Evil back into the Night._

* * *

Pansy whispered the text to the trio, and marveled at it. "This book must only divulge its secrets to fellow Slytherins."

Flipping to the Forward Index, she saw the various sections of the book.

"Concealment. Manipulation. Ambush tactics and strategies. Defensive Curses. Offensive Curses. Enchanting Muggle Weaponry... Muggle Weaponry?" She quickly scanned that section of the book, and her eyes widened at the passages.

"Salazar Slytherin used Muggle Weapons? I thought he was... but it makes sense! Other purebloods wouldn't have expected it." Mafalda whispered excitedly. "What did he use?"

"It was the Dark Ages, so the technonogy wasn't too advanced. He designed a charm to make every arrow he shot hit his target. No wonder a few of the Dark Wizards he was to duel died mysteriously the night before." Mafalda answered in awe.

The other two girls stared at her, dumbfounded.

"History of Magic, don't you pay attention to Professor Binns?" Mafalda asked, incredulously. The other two shook their heads. "Either way, get your books together and hand them to me." She waved her wand over a nearby trash bin, and it glowed momentarily.

Pansy and Daphne handed over books that they found, and Mafalda dropped them into the bin, but no thumping sound came. It glowed again, and returned to normal.

"It will be in my trunk; I figured this out after Madam Pince put a maximum book limit on me. I bet Granger could have gotten away with it though."

"So how are we going to help Potter defeat The Dark Lord? What's his plan?" Daphne asked as they left the library.

"No idea; I doubt even he has a plan. He just has been given hints from Dumbledore and will stumble through it unless Hermione makes an actual plan." Mafalda muttered, "Their weakness is Ronald. If only we could put a Trace on him."

As the three girls entered the memorial for Dumbledore, they switched back on their knut communicators.

"We should start learning how to scope out crowds for potential threats. I'll look forward; you two check the side flanks." Pansy whispered, sitting between the other two.

"Centaurs emerging from the woods, armed with arrows. I think they are not a threat; their bows are aimed away from the crowd." Daphne whispered, trying to keep her lips as still as possible.

"Merpeople coming out of the lake, this is going to hurt your ears." Mafalda added, covering her ears before they screeched their addition to the ceremony.

"Umbridge is in the front with various Ministry and Foreign Dignitaries. And yes, she's a threat. She's the kind of fanatic that will use Unforgivables for her own gain; we have no idea where her loyalties lie." Pansy concluded.

"Anyone willing to give Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle limitless power at Hogwarts is too loose of a canon for us to ever trust or work with. She'll sell anyone out if she thinks she'll profit from it."

As the memorial service ended, the Slytherin girls headed for the Hogwarts Express. They saw the evil glares coming from the Gryffindors and kept their own faces as neutral as possible.

"Just ignore them for now; they aren't the enemy unless they give us reason to have to defend ourselves." Pansy warned.

The three got into a cabin along with Theodore Nott, Graham Pritchard, and Tracey Davis. As they settled in, Nott opened up a chocolate frog and bit a leg off, reading the card inside.

"That's just awkward. I got Dumbledore." He tossed it away carelessly, landing in Mafalda's lap. The six of them just sat there in an awkward silence. Mafalda was about to toss the card away, but something about how Albus winked at her made her pause. The letters at the bottom of his card rearranged from his name to:

_A Baa Scribbled Curried Wolf Vim Pull Rune_

The Dumbledore looked at the words and waved his wand again. This time, the letters changed to:

_Cast Cave Inimicum on your Cousin Ginny. D_

Mafalda took a second glance on the card, and passed it to Pansy and Daphne. Without hesitating, she disillusioned herself again, tapped her knut communicator, and whispered to them that she would be right back.

The train pulled out of the station and was underway, and Pansy and Daphne would occasionally check in on their partner.

"These days are becoming much more mad. My parents asked me to not return to Hogwarts next year, but not because they think it's too dangerous. They want me to take The Mark and serve The Dark Lord." Nott answered bleakly.

"I've been informed that they are going to bring back the arranged marriages for the purebloods in order to strengthen the families and increase our numbers. In fact, I'm being promised to Crabbe for enlisting." Daphne added.

"I take it you both aren't happy that The Dark Lord came back? Me too. I'm only a half-blood, I have no idea what will be expected of me." Tracey shuddered.

"I hope the war ends before I leave Hogwarts. I don't want to have to kill and torture others." Graham said bleakly.

A dark streak went across the windows of the Hogwarts Express. Loud shrieks pierced the air, along with murmuring about the Dementors returning. But the train didn't halt.

Pansy tapped the knut behind her ear. "Mafalda, we're being boarded. I don't think it's dementors like last time. Why did the Dumbledore on the card ask you to protect Ginny?"

 _"She makes sense as a target, the youngest and sole female child of a blood traitor family."_   Mafalda replied, _"The Death Eaters would use her to coerce her family to fall into line. Found her."_

Pansy looked down the aisle of the train, and saw the death eaters searching the train. They weren't bothering with the maks anymore, and her eyes locked onto those of her ex-boyfriend, Adrian Pucey. His eyes held fear and sorrow when they met, and he blinked it away as his face went stoic.

"WHERE IS THAT BLOOD TRAITOR WITCH!" A voice boomed, raspy and inhuman, "I WAS PROMISED A BOUNTY FOR HER!"

Without hesitation, older students were casting disillusionment charms on each other and the younger ones, regardless of house affiliation. Nobody wanted to be at the mercy of a hungry werewolf.

A boy yelped, and the sound of a meaty thump hit the floor. "Looks like I will not be leaving here empty-handed at least. Such a pretty boy, too. Don't worry, I have no plans on biting or eating you. The girl isn't here! Let's go."

The Death Eaters left the train, and the children silently thanked Merlin for not being taken.

"Who was the boy?" Daphne asked, horrified.

_No idea, some Mudblood from Hufflepuff."_


	5. The Dark Lord Ascending

During the summer holidays, the Silver Trio were separated but were able to still use their communication knuts. The Daily Prophet spoke of random violence, muggle murders, and Ollivander's kidnapping. There was also the announcement that Severus Snape would be returning to Hogwarts as Headmaster, and that Harry Potter was wanted for questioning behind the death of Albus Dumbledore.

This puzzled the Silver Trio, and they weren't sure on whose side Snape was. Pansy made a routine of having daily updates with her counterparts, and they broached this subject often.

"We saw Snape kill Dumbledore through Salazar's Eyes." Pansy extolled.

_"But Dumbledore said to Snape, 'Severus, Please.' It was like he was begging for death."_ Daphne replied, confused.

_"His arm looked dead, it didn't used to be that bad. I recall at the start of term it was only his hand. Do you think he was slowly dying from something else?"_ Mafalda replied.

"So you think he ordered Snape to kill him? To spare him a slow and painful death? Would Dumbledore do... the mad man would. He's always done the last thing you'd expect." Pansy countered.

* * *

As Pansy explored her family's library, she wondered what made it possible for The Dark Lord to survive a rebounding Killing Curse. He could be addicted to unicorn blood, but the slaughter of unicorns only happened during her first year at Hogwarts.

_"What about Flamel's Philospher's Stone?"_ Daphne asked.

"That was destroyed, and he can't be chugging Draft of Living Death, since he's actually standing up and moving about." Pansy replied, scanning through _Magik moste Evil_.

_"From what I heard, he looked less and less human up until Potter stopped him. Now he looks almost inhuman. He's been doing something to change himself at the fundamental level, violating nature itself to be immortal."_ Mafalda suggested, _"do you have the_ Compendium of the Macabre _? There's got to be something that covers distorting the natural order of things."_

Pansy's eyes laid upon a book titled _Overcoming the Natural Order_. "I may have found something, it talks about... oh god. Stealing the magics of different species through claiming and absorbing them. Killing the creature as a part of a Dark Ritual."

_"Having the ability to wield House Elf magic could be good, we'd never worry about anti-apparition wards again."_ Daphne commented.

"No, we will NEVER do this. It's... not just sacrificing the creature. You have to gain knowledge and dominion over the creature as you slaughter it. I'll keep searching... wait. Death is the separation of the soul from the body, right? When it moves on to the next realm?" Both girls agreed. "Here's something where you can pin a piece of your soul in this realm so that the body remains tied to the land of the living. It works on tearing up your soul and hiding it in something called a Horcrux. It's... based on human sacrifices." Pansy paled at that.

_"And because The Dark Lord made an army of Inferi, he's probably killed off a few guys to hide chunks of his soul away and stay on this side of mortality."_ Mafalda mused, remembering the diary. _"He's definitely made some before, like the diary that possessed Ginny Weasley."_

"So according to this, he won't be truly dead until every last bit of his soul is released from the Horcruxes so that his soul can be removed from the body and move on. That's probably what Potter and his friends are going to be doing. We'll have to figure out how many there are, what they look like, and where they are hidden. Do you still have that Dumbledore Chocolate Frog card? Maybe he can give us a hint." Pansy wiped her hands after touching the last book, the taint of it dug under her skin.

_"The charm on it must have burned out, it never should have been able to rearrange the letters like it did. It's blank now. We'll need an actual portrait with the ability to speak with us in order to know what the old man was planning."_


End file.
